Monday, March 30, 2015

Newtonian Weapons

The ponderous instrument of synthesis, so effective in Newton's hands, has never since been grasped by anyone who could use it for such purpose; and we gaze at it with admiring curiosity, as some gigantic implement of war, which stands idle among the memorials of ancient days, and makes us wonder what manner of man he was who could wield as a weapon what we can hardly lift as a burden.

- William Whewell on Newton’s geometric proofs, 1847 (thanks to JWS for pointing this out to me).